Short Summary

ALGERIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ABDEL AZIZ BOUTEFLIKA, IN MAURITANIA TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES.

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ALGERIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ABDEL AZIZ BOUTEFLIKA, IN MAURITANIA TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES. RECEIVED A WARM WELCOME WHEN HE INSPECTED PORT INSTALLATIONS AT NOUJADIBOU ON THURSDAY (4 DECEMBER) AT THE END OF FOREIGN MINISTER HAMDI OULD MOUKNAS.

IN A JOINT COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE TWO COUNTRIES LATER OF THURSDAY, IT WAS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THAT MAURITANIA HAS REQUESTED TO JOIN THE MAGHREB ECONOMIC GROUP. THE GROUP IS AT PRESENT COMPROMISED OF FOUR NORTH AFRICAN COUNTRIES - MOROCCO, ALGERIA, TUNISIA AND LIBYA.

TERRITORIAL CLAIMS BY MOROCCO MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE UNTIL RECENTLY FOR MAURITANIA HAVE BEGIN CONTACTS WITH A VIEW TO ESTABLISHING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND BILATERAL CO-OPERATION.

BEFORE LEAVING MAURITANIA, M. BOUTEFLIKA SAID THAT HIS TALKS - INCLUDING A MEETING WITH PRESIDENT MOKTAR OULD DADDAH - HAVE ENABLED ALGERIA, MOROCCO AND MAURITANIA TO REACH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING ON THE DECOLONISATION OF THE SPANISH SAHARA. A JOINT PERMANENT COMMITTEE TO FURTHER AGREEMENTS BETWEEN MAURITANIA AND ALGERIA WAS ALSO INSTITUTED.